Subject: Re: Apple Pie or other Christmas Desserts

From: [email-masked] (David Friedman)
Date: 22 Dec 1993 05:46:21 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, GOULARD  J
<[email-masked]> wrote:

>   Hello! I am looking for some 13th century(+/- 200 years)
>   recipies for Apple pie or other desserts appropriate for
>   a medeival christmas.....
>                        thanx.
>                                     Marcel J.G. Goulard

A Flaune of Almayne 
Ancient Cookery p. 452/39 (GOOD)

First take raisins of Courance, or else other fresh raisins, and good ripe
pears, or else good apples, and pick out the cores of them, and pare them,
and grind them, and the raisins in a mortar, and do then to them a little
sweet cream of milk, and strain them through a clean strainer, and take ten
eggs, or as many more as will suffice, and beat them well together, both
the white and the yolk, and draw it through a strainer, and grate fair
white bread, and do thereto a good quantity, and more sweet cream, and do
thereto, and all this together; and take saffron, and powder of ginger, and
canel, and do thereto, and a little salt, and a quantity of fair, sweet
butter, and make a fair coffin or two, or as many as needs, and bake them a
little in an oven, and do this batter in them, and bake them as you would
bake flaunes, or crustades, and when they are baked enough, sprinkle with
canel and white sugar. This is a good manner of Crustade. 

2/3 c raisins	            pinch of saffron         	1/2 c whipping cream
3 pears or apples	     1/2 t salt	                     5 T butter
1/2 t cinnamon	         3 eggs (large)             	9" pie crust
1/4 t ginger             	4 T breadcrumbs	         1 T cinnamon sugar to
sprinkle on at the end

A blender works well as a substitute for a mortar to mash the apples and
raisins; mix the liquids in with the apples and raisins before blending.
Bake at 375¡ for about an hour.

--------

Quinces in Pastry
Du Fait de Cuisine no. 70

Again, quinces in pastry: and to give understanding to him who should
prepare them let him arrange that he has his fair and good quinces and then
let him clean them well and properly and then make a narrow hole on top and
remove the seeds and what they are wrapped in, and let him take care that
he does not break through on the bottom or anywhere else; and, this being
done, put them to boil in a fair and clean cauldron or pot in fair water
and, being thus cooked, take them out onto fair and clean boards to drain
and put them upside down without cutting them up. And then let him go to
the pastry-cooks and order from them the little crusts of the said pastries
to put into each of the said little crusts three quinces or four or more.
And when the said little crusts are made fill the holes in the said quinces
with very good sugar, then arrange them in the said little crusts and cover
and put to cook in the oven; and, being cooked enough, let them be served. 

3 quinces        	pie crust:	1 1/4 c flour
5/8 c sugar	                    	6 1/2 T butter
(1/8 t ginger)	                	3 1/2 T water

Core the quinces without cutting through to the bottom. Simmer them in
water about 15 minutes. Make pie crust, divide in half, roll out bottom
crust and put in 7" pie pan. Set quinces upright on top of the bottom
crust, fill with sugar, put top crust over them. Bake at 450¡ for 15
minutes, then at 350¡ for 35 minutes. 
 
Note: there is a similar recipe in Two Fifteenth Century Cookery Books p.
51. The differences are that the quinces are peeled, they may be replaced
by warden pears, there is a little powdered ginger in with the sugar, and
the sugar may be replaced by honey with pepper and ginger. 
-- 
David Friedman
[email-masked]